Two popular regional flights on the chopping block
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NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Great Walks with kids: A family's adventure through NZ's trails
For quality, screen-free family time, a Great Walk really delivers. You are largely off-grid and out in nature together, with several hours of walking – and potential talking time – each day. Our kids usually take turns leading and dropping back to chat with their packhorse parents. Once at the huts, it's more family bonding as you unwind from the day, share some treats and cook dinner. It's all very Brady Bunch until it inevitably isn't; for example, when someone knocks over his Milo and completely soaks his only spare set of clothes. The Kepler Track in Fiordland. Photo / Tourism NZ It's easy to get blasé about New Zealand's natural beauty and dramatic landscapes. The Great Walks will jolt you out of any such complacency. Even the kids, usually indifferent to calendar-worthy views, found plenty to delight in. Walking through the otherworldly and iron-flat South Crater on the Tongariro Circuit, surrounded by craggy, volcanic terrain and the famous cone of Ngauruhoe, was a surreal and awe-inspiring experience. To my imaginative 10-year-old, we were in dragon country. The Heaphy Hut was another highlight, overlooking the point where the Heaphy River meets the roiling Tasman Sea. As we soaked in the scene, fringed by nikau palms and resplendent in the sunset, the kids revelled on the river bank, hunting for treasures and dipping in and out of the cool, clean river current. Start small to build confidence As with any holiday with kids, adequate preparation is important. Having ticked off a few day walks in our home region of Hawke's Bay, we had already established that the kids were very capable, if not always enthusiastic, walkers. We thoroughly researched each walk before booking (the Department of Conservation has extensive information on its website – including track descriptions, potential hazards, gear lists and difficulty ratings for each walk. For pre-walk training, we put our half-full packs on and headed up our local mountain, Te Mata Peak, tramping similar distances, time-frames and elevations as we'd face on our upcoming walk. And yes, we did get some odd looks. Te Mata Peak offers a good opportunity as a trial walk. Photo / Kirsten Simcox Embrace early starts and bush toilets When on the tracks, we usually set off early – giving plenty of time to complete the day's distance. Often, there are natural stops along the way – other huts and shelters, lookouts, points of interest – and breaking the day up into chunks is a great way to keep kids motivated. You'll also be stopping when nature calls, and I'm not talking about birdsong. Realistically, and despite your repeated pleas to use available facilities, you may be dealing with an urgent bowel motion on the most remote part of the track. In this situation, you'll need a compostable bag, or a trowel and a spot well away from the track, campsites and any water. Chalk it up as a new experience for young and old. Abel Tasman National Park. Photo / Tourism NZ Lean into a little make-believe Keeping morale up on a long day of walking required a mix of games and deep-dive conversations into our children's latest interests. On the Abel Tasman, we were hard into the Harry Potter phase and every third stick we encountered was assessed for its spell-casting potential. There's a limit, of course, to how many of the 1000-plus Pokemon characters you can bear to hear about, or how much I Spy you can play in the bush. This is where outright bribes in the form of cold, hard candy come in. They work on adults too. Plan post-hiking fun Arriving at the hut after a day of walking can be a religious experience. Don't get too comfortable though, as your kids will inexplicably still have energy to burn. Once you've bagged your bunks (fellow trampers are usually very reasonable about letting families bunk in the same room), be prepared to go exploring around the huts – there is often a postcard-perfect waterfall, swimming hole or vista just a short walk away. Back at the hut, it's time to break out the snacks and diversions. Some huts have a collection of puzzles, cards and games, but it's a good idea to take your own too. The Great Walks challenge began on the Abel Tasman Coast Track. Photo / Claire Rogers Keep mealtimes simple For meals, we kept it simple. Breakfasts (porridge mix) and dinners (a freeze-dried meal) were as easy as adding boiling water to the sachets, stirring the mix and letting them sit. Lunches and snacks were salami and bier sticks, wraps, energy bars, lollies, crackers and cheese. While the thought of a freeze-dried roast chicken meal – complete with mash and stuffing – may not have you salivating, our kids gave it rave reviews. Enjoy the break from the nightly battle over fresh veggies. Make friends along the way Stepping out on day one of the Abel Tasman track, we were a tad nervous as to how our fellow hut dwellers would receive our outgoing brood, who were 6, 8 and 9 at the time. We needn't have worried. The camaraderie in the huts is one of the best things about the Great Walks, and most of our walking companions have been delighted to see children tackling the tracks with them. We loved reuniting with our newfound friends each night, sharing stories from the day. One tramper went so far as to organise an epic 'backyard' cricket match for our would-be Black Caps, constructing a bat out of driftwood and converting an avocado stone into a ball with strapping tape. On the wall in our home office, there's a Great Walk map. The kids love to look at the distances and climbs they've conquered, the huts they've lodged in, and remember the people we met along the way. When you sign up for a Great Walk with kids, you are signing up for a challenge. But the family memories made, the soul-nourishing scenery, and the immense and collective sense of achievement each time have us coming back for more.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
What you need to know about Wednesday's nurses strike
Nurses held an 8-hour strike last December. A new strike is planned for 24 hours on Wednesday. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Nurses are going on strike on Wednesday. About 36,000 nurses, midwives and health care assistants will be off the job from 9am Wednesday to 9am Thursday. Last-ditch negotiations on Monday failed to reach an agreement . There will be pickets and marches throughout the country. Nurses are concerned about staffing levels and safety . The latest pay offer was also dismissed as a "massive backward step" . Health NZ is offering a 3 percent pay rise over 27 months, plus two lump sum payments of $325. NZNO's counter-offer seeks a 5 percent pay rise over two years, along with $2000 flat rate increases for senior positions. The union also seeks to restore a Tikanga Māori allowance. "The average salary for both senior and registered nurses, including overtime, PDRP allowance, and penal rates, is $125,662, Health NZ said . "Members also need a wage offer that enables them to meet the rising cost of living without them and their whānau going backwards financially for the important mahi they do," said Paul Goulter, chief executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. "We believe the offer we have made to the union is a fair one given our current financial constraints," Health NZ said. In a statement, Health New Zealand said "we are disappointed that the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is taking strike action when there is a fair offer on the table." "We are concerned about the impact strike action will have on patients who are waiting for planned care." Goulter said the latest offer from Health New Zealand ignores worries about safe staffing . "Patients are at risk because of short staffing. Nurses, midwives and health care assistants are stretched too thin and can't give patients the care they need. This is heartbreaking for our exhausted members who became health care workers because they want to help people." A safe staffing agreement was dropped from negotiations with Health New Zealand. Figures obtained by NZNO from Health New Zealand show surgical hospital wards were short-staffed more than half of all day shifts last year. Health New Zealand said in their statement it also seeks to keep nurses and patients safe. "While we are aware of NZNO's commentary in recent weeks we would like to reassure New Zealanders that Health NZ is completely committed to safe staffing. "For us safe staffing in a busy hospital environment includes the skills mix of the staff, the way care is provided, strong clinical judgement, flexibility and thoughtful decision making from our experienced leaders on the frontline. We take responsibility for operational and patient safety decisions seriously as we are accountable for the safety of patients who access our services." Paul Goulter, chief executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Goulter said the key issue was making sure there was enough staff to "ensure patient safety", which was "foremost in the minds of our members" during negotiations. "While, obviously, there's a wage element, we're trying to do our best to ensure we get staffing that's appropriate to meet what patients need and we seem to have come up short on that," he told RNZ recently. Negotiations began last October, but the union said bargaining had stalled over "big ticket items" centred on public safety. Nurses also walked off the job in strike in December for eight hours. "We are striking because patient safety is at risk every day due to chronic understaffing and under-resourcing," Wellington nurse Hilary Gardner said. "We simply don't have enough nurses to provide the level of care our patients need and deserve. It's not safe, and it's not fair - for patients, their whānau, or the staff trying to care for them. We've raised concerns time and time again, but nothing changes - so now we're taking action to stand up for safer care." Acute and emergency services will still be provided, including maternity care, intensive care, ambulance services and emergency departments. Patients already in hospital will still receive ongoing care. "... The public can be reassured that we have an agreement with NZNO for life preserving services support throughout the strike and our hospitals and emergency departments will remain open," Health NZ Chief Executive Dr Dale Bramley said. "To maintain patient safety, most clinics will be closed. However, if you have a hospital appointment, please come to your appointment unless we have contacted you directly to reschedule." However, most appointments for the strike days will be rescheduled. "It is estimated that 4300 planned procedures and specialist appointments would have to be postponed should the 24-hour strike action on 30 and 31 July go ahead," Dr Bramley said. Aged residential care, St John Ambulance, GPs and hospice services are not affected by the strike and will carry on as normal. Anyone unsure about whether they need emergency department care should contact their GP or call Healthline 0800 611 116 for free advice. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The union does not rule out further action if their concerns aren't met, Goulter said. "Our members have indicated this strike is just the beginning and they are in it for the long haul." "Our members don't take this action lightly. They are striking because they are exasperated with being short-staffed and their patients being put at risk because Te Whatu Ora refuses to resource safe staffing levels and instead staffs to an arbitrary budget set by the government. "The public know that when there aren't enough nurses, patients wait longer to get the care they need. Critical observations and treatments may be delayed, errors are more likely and health outcomes worsen. A lack of nurses has reduced numbers of elective surgeries for years and contributed to longer waiting times and the current backlog. "Any member of the public who has been to a hospital recently knows the reality for patients and the nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora who care for them." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
New book captures the mountain-biking trails of New Zealand
environment 38 minutes ago Roughly thirty years ago a revolution took place in the world of adventure biking. It was the advent of suspension - something many riders probably take for granted - but it was key to improving off-road performance and allowing the sport of mountain-biking to take off. Now a new book, edited by Wanaka-based film-maker Nick Stevenson, showcases the best of what New Zealand has to offer mountain-bikers. It's choc-full of stunning imagery taken from photographers with a real passion for the sport themselves. Nick joins Kathryn to talk about Eden: A portrait of mountain biking in Aotearoa New Zealand, and his own interest in biking.
